Nostalgia for old guns

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Senior Member

I think the appreciation a person has for guns, either beauty or tool depends on their personal history of how they have used them or had them used against themselves and the good or sometimes bad memories associated with them. Although I own many and see them as necessary, my views have changed from a young man looking at them with admiration of beauty to an old man looking at them as unfriendly deadly tools.

Senior Member

I have a safe packed full of guns but only a few I have a true love for. I have a very close family friends Belgium A5 that is beat up, scratched and scarred up from years of dove, duck, deer, rabbit and quail hunting. I won't ever get rid of that gun. My Granny has her fathers double barrel 16 gauge and an old 22 that was the only 2 guns he owned and died long before I was born. I want to get that 16 double and hang it on the wall at home.

The story an old well used gun tells you when you pick it up is something that is unexplainable. People back before our time survived using those guns, it was more than just "a gun" to them.

Senior Member

Closest I've come to crying in a long time when I saw this. I had my ol grandpappy's 12 ga Iver Johnson that was made in 1903. I also have his Winchester 67 22LR. Sadly, the Iver Johnson was stolen from me about three years ago in a break in.

With that shotgun I killed a 6 point buck (just to say I took a deer with it) and a 23 1/2 pound 10 1/2" double bearded turkey up in the mountains. It was full choked of course and I would take it dove hunting from time to time just to "reconnect". One time I had a wad of doves fly over me, all bunched up. Like I do from time to time, I failed to just pick out one and fired at the group. To my astonishment, FIVE doves fell from one shot with that shotgun. I'm 61 now and I doubt I'll ever pull that stunt again.

Just before she was stolen, I had her professionally restored to "new" condition. Color case hardened receiver, rust blued barrel and trigger guard. She was gorgeous. She was the first shotgun I ever shot. I was so scared at that first shot...4-5 years old. My dad showed me how to shoulder it and pull the trigger. He was always a practical joker and he shot it first for me and staggered back and flipped over backwards from the recoil, eager to see my reaction. I gathered all the courage a little boy could find and prepared to shoot that 105mm Howitzer, expecting the worst. My old man had apparently put in a light dove and quail load and I was none for the worst and had a good laugh with him about my fears.

One day I hope and pray I am reunited with that shotgun...it has about crushed me that it was stolen.

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Closest I've come to crying in a long time when I saw this. I had my ol grandpappy's 12 ga Iver Johnson that was made in 1903. I also have his Winchester 67 22LR. Sadly, the Iver Johnson was stolen from me about three years ago in a break in.

With that shotgun I killed a 6 point buck (just to say I took a deer with it) and a 23 1/2 pound 10 1/2" double bearded turkey up in the mountains. It was full choked of course and I would take it dove hunting from time to time just to "reconnect". One time I had a wad of doves fly over me, all bunched up. Like I do from time to time, I failed to just pick out one and fired at the group. To my astonishment, FIVE doves fell from one shot with that shotgun. I'm 61 now and I doubt I'll ever pull that stunt again.

Just before she was stolen, I had her professionally restored to "new" condition. Color case hardened receiver, rust blued barrel and trigger guard. She was gorgeous. She was the first shotgun I ever shot. I was so scared at that first shot...4-5 years old. My dad showed me how to shoulder it and pull the trigger. He was always a practical joker and he shot it first for me and staggered back and flipped over backwards from the recoil, eager to see my reaction. I gathered all the courage a little boy could find and prepared to shoot that 105mm Howitzer, expecting the worst. My old man had apparently put in a light dove and quail load and I was none for the worst and had a good laugh with him about my fears.

One day I hope and pray I am reunited with that shotgun...it has about crushed me that it was stolen.

I hate to hear about it being stolen. I have grown to hate thieves with a black passion. I had a Belgian Browning T-bolt .22 rifle with a Redfield T-post scope that my uncle gave me when I was 11 years old. He was a gun collector, and it was his favorite gun. He was dying from cancer. I was named after him. The last time we went to see him at home, before we left, he came out of his gun room with the rifle and gave it to me.

A little over fifteen years ago, some lowlife waste of oxygen pried my door open and robbed my house while I was at work. He stole about 20 guns. Among them was that Browning. To him, it was just another couple fixes of meth. To me, it was something that can never be replaced. I would like to just hold it one more time.

And yep, that old IJ 16 gauge was one of those "rite of passage" guns that we all had to shoot growing up, and it was a milestone when we finally did. It kicked like a mule, and still does.

Son, I ain't sayin' what's right or wrong, I'm just sayin' how it is.....Black Oak ArkansasMy uncle came running when he heard us screaming and pulled the monkey off me.....Fish Hawk

Senior Member

My Dad had only 4 guns a sporterized 1903 with a 2.5 power scope a L.C. Smith field grade 12 ga a marlin 336 in 32 Winchester special and a H&R .22 revolver for trapping I love his LC Smith 12 ga My Brother has marlin and .22 I traded the 03 for a Remington model 700 in 1976 love that gun but kick myself in butt for trading 03 springfield was young and stupid !!!

Senior Member

6mm is such a great round. I had one in a ruger for several years and had great success with it. I didn't reload at the time and ammo was hard to find locally so I let it go. I passed on an old model 7 in one last year, wish I had gotten it.

You always had the rich guy at the camp with the 742 basket weave stock. And the then browning bar was it. Nothing like old kwik sites and gun chaps too.

Senior Member

This thread stirs a few emotions. Dads dad was a smith on the side and I’m not sure he owned a gun when he died. That was in the 70’s and I suppose dad would have got them if he did but that didn’t happen. Moms dad had an enviable collection that my uncle bought and cousins have now. They apparently aren’t interested in sharing the heritage even at a price although I’ve never pushed hard. I was the first grandson and grandpa gave me an Ithaca super single when I turned 12. The age back then. Not one of his though, he bought it new. That gun is still my baby! Dad helped me buy my win 94 at 14 and those were my guns til I was nearly 40.
Dad had 4 guns. Mom had one. I have moms and thanks to one brother one of dads. Both are hand carved by dad. I have a couple others now but they are just guns.
Finally I hate a thief and it should be legal to show them their beating heart in your hand,or at least shoot’em with what they’ve stolen.

Go and hide in a hole if you like,The All Father has woven the skein of your life long ago.

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Senior Member

First deer hunting trip in my life was in Talbot County as it was the only county close to us with a deer season. I carried a single shot stevens 20 gauge with slugs. I got the crap scared out of me by two Vietnam vets in full camo including face paint. They were turkey hunting in the fall with 22-250 rifles...………..the bullets whistled …………...

Senior Member

My two favorite guns are a Marlin 336 .35 Rem made in 1961 that I lucked into. Feller selling it didn't really know what he had. The other was my great, great grandad's J. Stevens single shot 16 ga that he bought in 1906. It ain't worth a plug nickle money wise, but it will never leave my family. I've killed countless rabbits, squirrels and even a couple turkeys with that old shotgun.

"The first step is the one you believe in. The second one might be profound."